Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

A select field of highly skilled young golfers aged 12 and under on Canada’s number one-played junior golf tour, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), qualified to compete in the exclusive MJT Mini Tour Order of Merit (OOM) Invitational at the private Quilchena Golf and Country Club in Richmond, BC.

 

Held on May 24, the invitational brought together a limited-size field of 48 juniors who battled it out in six divisions on the deceptively challenging par-73 layout, with direct qualifying spots for the MJT Mini Tour National Championship and FCG Callaway World Golf Championship on the line.
 

Joanna Lin, 10, of Vancouver, BC, and Grace Yuemeng Wu, 9, of Richmond, BC, both fired an impressive score of 4-under-par 69 to tie for the lead in the MJT Girls 9-10 division, with Lin claiming the trophy based on a countback. Matching that low score, Johnny Wang, 10, of Vancouver, BC, also shot a 4-under 69 to take the win in the MJT Boys 9-10 division, further showcasing the incredible skills of these young players.

Consistent play and clutch scoring across the board led to other division wins for the talented line-up of Minxing Matt Li, 12, of Surrey, BC, in MJT Boys 11-12 (74), Lucy Li, 11, of Vancouver, BC, in MJT Girls 11-12 (72), Sawyer Morrow, 6, of Vancouver, BC, in MJT Boys 8U (74), and Yoyo Zhang, 8, of Richmond, BC, in MJT Girls 8U (74).

Quotes from the division winners and top finisher scores are detailed below. Full results, as well as winners of the Closest-to-the-Pin and Long Drive competitions, are posted on the MJT website here.
 

The next MJT Mini Tour event in the province is the waitlisted MJT Mini Tour at Musqueam Golf Course in Vancouver, BC, on June 7. For more information, or to view upcoming British Columbia MJT Mini Tour schedule, please visit www.maplejt.com.

 

Top Finishers by Division
 

MJT Boys 11-12: Quilchena GC: Par 73, Ydg 5275, Slope/Rating 111/65.3
1. Minxing Matt Li (12), Surrey, BC | 74         

2. Mason Yuyuan Wang (11), Vancouver, BC | 76      

3. Felix Qu (10), North Vancouver, BC | 78

Minxing Matt Li, 12, of Surrey, BC, claimed a four-stroke victory in the MJT Boys 11-12 division with a rock-solid round of 74, which included two birdies. “It feels great even though I think I could have played better,” said Li, giving the event a solid “10/10.” A confident finish with room to grow — the hallmark of a player on the rise.
 

1. Lucy Li (11), Vancouver, BC | 72     

2. Victoria Shen (11), Surrey, BC | 74

3. Avery McAbee (12), Mission, BC | 75

Lucy Li of Vancouver, BC, carded a fantastic 72 to take the MJT Girls 11-12 title, highlighted by three birdies and a spectacular eagle. The 11-year-old credited her fellow competitors, saying, “Credits to Jody and Angela for helping me stay positive.” When asked which PGA Tour professional she would choose to tee it up with? “Brooke Henderson. She is Canadian. Canada rules.” Enough said!

MJT Boys 9-10: Quilchena GC: Par 73, Ydg 4550, Slope/Rating 0/0.0

1. Johnny Wang (10), Vancouver, BC | 69      

2. Alex Yage Chen (10), West Vancouver, BC | 72      

2. Ethan Jiang (8), Vancouver, BC | 72

Johnny Wang fired an exceptional 4-under-par 69 to win the MJT Boys 9-10 title, making four birdies and an eagle en route to his standout score. The 10-year-old from Vancouver, BC, summed the event up simply: “Fantastic.” As for who he would like to play with? “Rory McIlroy, because he is very good and he hits super far.”

MJT Girls 9-10: Quilchena GC: Par 73, Ydg 4400, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1. Joanna Lin (10), Vancouver, BC | 69 *Won countback

2. Grace Yuemeng Wu (9), Richmond, BC | 69           

3. Stella Sun (10), White Rock, BC | 70

In one of the weekend’s most exciting finishes, Joanna Lin, 10, of Vancouver, BC, and Grace Yuemeng Wu, 9, of Richmond, BC, both shot 4-under 69 to tie for the lead the MJT Girls 9-10 division, but it was Lin who claimed the title on a countback, thanks in part to her eight birdies. “I feel extremely happy and proud of myself today,” said Lin. And when asked about the MJT experience, she praised the Panago partner perks, saying “MJT has the best pizza and I like the prizes.”

 

1. Sawyer Morrow (6), Vancouver, BC | 74    

2. Brian Wang (8), Vancouver, BC | 78           

3. Mason Hou (6), Vancouver, BC | 82

Six-year-old Sawyer Morrow of Vancouver, BC, made his mark in the MJT Boys 8U division, winning by four strokes with a rock-solid round of 74 including three birdies. Morrow was particularly thrilled with his win as he mentioned he shot a 95 in this same Invitational last year. He attributed his great improvement to ‘accuracy with my irons and driving.’
 

1. Yoyo Zhang (8), Richmond, BC | 74

2. Paris Liu (8), Richmond, BC | 75      

3. Gloria Han (8), Burnaby, BC | 84

Yoyo Zhang of Richmond, BC, shot 74 to lead the MJT Girls 8U division, notching two birdies on her way to edge out a one-stroke victory. The eight-year-old said, “It feels good,” and credited her success to ‘my dad and my coach.’ A family-powered performance with a winning result.
 

Qualified Players: 
MJT Mini Tour National Championship

Boys: Mason Hou, Johnny Wang, Mason Yuyuan Wang

Girls: Paris Liu, Stella Sun, Lucy Li

 

FCG Callaway World Golf Championship
Boys: Sawyer Morrow, Johnny Wang

Girls: Yoyo Zhang, Joanna Lin

 

About the MJT: The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour is Canada’s #1 Junior Golf Tour as well as the only national junior tour run exclusively by PGA of Canada Professionals and the ‘Road to College Golf’ in Canada. The organization is supported by partners across various tiers, including Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels. The MJT hosts more than 100 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 12U and multi-day events for competitive players aged 11-19 which also offer qualifiers for international tournaments. The program has annual awards, scholarships and incentives to help reward performance and participation throughout each season. MJT alumni include many Professional Tour players and PGA of Canada Professionals, as well as Canadian Amateur, National and Provincial Junior Champions. The MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life, promoting the game from grassroots through to the provincial, national, university and professional levels.

 

Media Contact: Jessica Parker, marketing@maplejt.com 
Marketing Manager, MJT